Nevada Whistleblower Protections Under NRS 613.333

Reporting illegal activity at work shouldn’t cost you your job. In Nevada, it’s supposed to be that simple. NRS 613.333 prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who report violations of law to government agencies. But protections on paper don’t always translate to protections in practice. Employers in Las Vegas, Reno, and across the state still fire, demote, and sideline workers who speak up. Knowing exactly what the statute covers, and where its limits lie, is the difference between having a claim and having nothing.

I’m Mikoe Tretola. I’ve represented Nevada workers in the gaming, hospitality, and healthcare industries who blew the whistle on everything from safety violations to financial fraud. The retaliation is predictable. Hours get cut. Shifts change. Performance reviews drop from “exceeds expectations” to “needs improvement” overnight. Then the termination comes, always with a convenient pretext. NRS 613.333 gives these workers a path to fight back.

What NRS 613.333 Actually Protects

NRS 613.333 makes it unlawful for an employer to discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee because the employee, in good faith, reported (or the employer believes the employee reported) a violation of a law, rule, or regulation to a government entity. The statute also protects employees who refuse to engage in conduct that would constitute a violation of law.

The key elements

The protection comes down to three things. First, the employee must report a violation (or the employer must believe the employee reported one). Second, the report must go to a government entity, not just to a supervisor or coworker. Third, the employee must act in good faith, meaning they genuinely believed a violation occurred.

Good faith doesn’t require being right. If a casino floor supervisor reports suspected money laundering to the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the investigation finds no violation, the employee is still protected. The question is whether the employee had a reasonable, honest belief that the law was being broken.

What counts as a government entity

The statute says “any governmental entity.” For Nevada workers, common reporting destinations include the Nevada Gaming Control Board, OSHA, the Nevada Division of Industrial Relations, the Nevada Attorney General’s office, law enforcement agencies, and the EEOC.

A worker at a Henderson manufacturing plant who reports chemical exposure violations to OSHA is protected. A casino dealer in downtown Reno who reports suspected cheating by management to the Gaming Control Board is protected. A hotel housekeeper on the Strip who reports unpaid wages to the Office of the Labor Commissioner is protected.

What’s not clearly covered is a purely internal report. If you only complain to your manager or HR department without reporting to any government entity, NRS 613.333’s protection becomes uncertain. Some courts have interpreted Nevada law to cover internal complaints in limited circumstances, but the safer approach is to make sure your report reaches a government body.

Document every report you make to a government agency. Save confirmation numbers, email receipts, and dates. If you file by phone, follow up with a written summary.

NRS 613.333 vs California whistleblower law

California Labor Code section 1102.5 is significantly broader than Nevada’s statute. For related California protections and warning signs, read our guide to workplace retaliation in Los Angeles.

California’s broader scope

Under California’s law, employees are protected for disclosing information to a government or law enforcement agency, to a supervisor, or to any employee who has authority to investigate or correct the violation. Internal reports are explicitly covered. Nevada’s NRS 613.333 doesn’t include that same explicit protection for internal disclosures.

California also protects employees who refuse to participate in activity that would violate a state or federal statute, rule, or regulation. And after the California Supreme Court’s decision in Lawson v. PPG Architectural Finishes (2022), the burden-shifting framework heavily favors employees. Under Labor Code section 1102.6, once the employee shows that whistleblowing was a contributing factor in the adverse action, the employer must prove by clear and convincing evidence that it would have taken the same action for legitimate reasons.

Nevada doesn’t have an equivalent burden-shifting statute. In Nevada, the employee generally bears the burden of proving retaliation.

Multistate employment matters

Many employees work for companies with operations in both states. A worker based in Las Vegas whose employer also operates in Los Angeles may have claims under both NRS 613.333 and California Labor Code section 1102.5, depending on where the conduct occurred and where the employment decisions were made. If you work in Nevada for a company headquartered in California, jurisdiction gets complicated. Get legal advice early.

State employees have separate protections

NRS 281.611 through NRS 281.671 provide whistleblower protections for state employees and local government workers.

Under NRS 281.611, a state officer or employee may disclose information about the activities of a state agency (or local government) if the employee reasonably believes the information reveals a gross mismanagement of public funds, an abuse of authority, a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety, or a violation of law.

The state employee statute has its own process. Employees can file with the Whistleblower Hotline in the Attorney General’s office or their agency’s inspector general. NRS 281.641 prohibits reprisal and provides back pay, reinstatement, and benefit restoration.

State and local government employees should know that NRS 281.611 and NRS 613.333 are separate statutes with different coverage and remedies. Depending on circumstances, a government employee might have claims under both.

Retaliation in Nevada workplaces

Retaliation rarely comes with a written memo saying “we’re firing you because you reported us.” Instead, it’s a series of actions that make your working life miserable or push you out.

Common retaliation tactics

Termination is the most obvious, but employers have other options. Demotion or reassignment to less desirable work. Cut hours or pay. Exclusion from meetings, projects, or training. Negative performance reviews that contradict prior positive evaluations. Transfer to a different shift or location. Discipline over minor issues other employees ignore.

A Gaming Industry Scenario

Consider a pit boss at a casino off Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas who notices that a floor manager is allowing certain high-rollers to bet beyond authorized limits, potentially violating internal gaming controls tied to Title 31 anti-money-laundering requirements. The pit boss reports the activity to the Nevada Gaming Control Board. Two weeks later, the casino transfers the pit boss to a graveyard shift at a smaller property across town. Three months later, the pit boss gets a negative performance review for the first time in eight years. One month after that, termination for “poor performance.”

That’s textbook retaliation. The timing between the protected activity and the adverse actions creates an inference of retaliatory intent. The sudden negative review after years of good ones supports it. Under NRS 613.333, this pit boss has a claim.

If you notice a shift in how your employer treats you after making a report, start a personal log. Record every change in duties, schedule, performance feedback, and interactions with management, including dates and the names of anyone involved. Keep this log on your personal device, not a work computer.

Available remedies under NRS 613.333

NRS 613.333 allows civil suits. Remedies include reinstatement, back pay, restoration of lost benefits (including seniority), and attorney’s fees.

Damage limitations

Nevada’s statute isn’t as generous as others. It doesn’t explicitly cover emotional distress or punitive damages. But depending on the facts, you may have additional claims under other statutes or common law that do allow those damages. A retaliatory termination could support a wrongful discharge claim, which often allows emotional distress and punitive damages.

The EEOC reported 88,531 new discrimination charges in fiscal year 2024, up 9.2% from fiscal year 2023, and retaliation remained one of the agency’s most frequent litigation bases. Nevada follows this pattern. Employers know firing a whistleblower is risky, but many do it anyway betting the employee won’t fight back.

Statute of limitations

NRS 613.333 doesn’t specify its own limitation period. Nevada courts generally apply the two-year statute for personal injury actions (NRS 11.190(4)(e)) to employment retaliation claims. Some have applied different periods depending on the recovery theory.

Two years goes fast, especially once you account for months spent realizing you’re being retaliated against. If you believe you’ve been terminated or punished for reporting to a government entity, don’t delay. The clock runs from the adverse employment action.

Where to file

NRS 613.333 lawsuits go in Nevada state court. Las Vegas metro workers file in Clark County District Court. Reno, Sparks, and Carson City workers file in Washoe County or their judicial district.

If you also have federal claims (Sarbanes-Oxley for publicly traded companies, or other federal whistleblower statutes), you can file in US District Court for Nevada. The federal courthouse in Las Vegas is on South Las Vegas Boulevard; in Reno, it’s on South Virginia Street.

Many Nevada employment cases mix state and federal claims. Filing in federal court and including state claims under supplemental jurisdiction is common.

Steps before you blow the whistle

If you’re reporting your employer’s illegal activity to a government agency, preparation matters.

Gather evidence first

Before reporting, collect and preserve evidence supporting your belief that a violation is occurring. Emails, documents, photographs, internal communications. Copy relevant materials to personal accounts or devices. Don’t take documents you’re not authorized to access, but save anything you’d normally see in your duties.

Review your employment agreement

Check your contract for arbitration clauses, non-disclosure provisions, and whistleblower language. Some gaming employers include broad confidentiality clauses they later claim prohibit government reporting. In most cases, these clauses can’t legally prevent you from reporting violations to a government entity. But knowing what your employer might argue helps you and your attorney prepare.

Report in writing

Whenever possible, report to the government agency in writing, or follow up a phone report with written confirmation. A paper trail is everything in retaliation cases. If you file with the Nevada Gaming Control Board, the Division of Industrial Relations, or OSHA, keep copies of everything.

Talk to an attorney first

I say this because the order of these steps can make or break your case. An employment lawyer can help you identify the right government agency, frame your complaint to maximize protection, and set up a documentation plan before retaliation starts.

How we handle whistleblower cases

We represent Nevada workers punished for doing the right thing. Whether you reported safety violations in a Reno warehouse, financial irregularities at a Strip casino, or patient care failures at a Henderson hospital, we build the timeline, gather evidence, and hold the employer accountable.

Whistleblower cases often involve multiple claims. We pair NRS 613.333 retaliation claims with any applicable federal whistleblower statute, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, and related theories to increase settlement pressure.

If you’ve reported illegal activity to a government agency and your employer cut your hours, changed your role, wrote you up, or fired you, gather your documentation and contact us. We’ll evaluate whether your report qualifies as protected activity and what the best path forward looks like for your situation.